Book Review: Metamorphosis

The High School book club chose some REALLY tough books this year, and this month is no exception.  While the story is seemingly pretty straight forward, the author is a lot more philosophical than you might realize.

The Metamorphosis

by Franz Kafka

One morning, Gregory Samsa wakes up a little differently.  He has transformed into a giant insect.  Unable to work or provide for his family--and scaring the living daylights out of everyone, Gregory hides in his bedroom, eating garbage, climbing on the wall and ceiling, and eavesdropping on the world outside.

This is a dark comic based on identity and importance of work and life.

I must say, reading this story in English is much easier than when I had to read it in its original German!  This story, on the surface, is an interesting, and sometimes humorous narration of a man who literally turns into a bug and lives a buggy life in his apartment.

Below the surface are themes dealing with identity, self-worth, roles of different family members, absurdity of life, disconnect between mind and body and so much more.  I am still unsure that I truly grasped every message Kafka was trying to convey, but what I did get left me sullen and morose about the life I lead--one where I go to work, come home, and cycle through every day and every year.

If you need a short story that gets your brain ticking, I highly recommend this story!

TAB Fun!

I had another GREAT Thursday with the teens! This week, we met to talk about some teen stuff for the library, including the summer reading program, Tween programs, as well as played some awesome games!

We played the "Superlatives" game--the group had to put themselves in order by height...EASY, right?

But THEN...they had to put themselves in birthday order without talking!  A little more challenging:

But they did it!

We always take a break in the middle to move around and have some more fun. So we tried a NEW game, called "Feather Breath." Each teen had one feather they could only blow to keep in the air. Dustin won this one, keeping his feather floating the longest!

The teens also helped get the display ready for April for the Teen Section.  April is National Poetry Month, so there was a TON of poetry being scribbled on pages!

We will have magnet poetry

We will have "Just Because" poetry

And post-it poetry

Come to the Teen area next month to participate!

And we ALWAYS end TAB with another fun activity...We pulled out the spoons. Dustin won. Again.

Book Review: Court of Fives

New series:

Court of Fives 

by Kate Elliott

Summary from GoodReads:
Jessamy’s life is a balance between acting like an upper-class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But away from her family, she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for the Fives, an intricate, multilevel athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom’s best competitors.

Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an improbable friendship between the two Fives competitors—one of mixed race and the other a Patron boy—causes heads to turn. When Kal’s powerful, scheming uncle tears Jes’s family apart, she’ll have to test her new friend’s loyalty and risk the vengeance of a royal clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.

In this imaginative escape into an enthralling new world, World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott’s first young adult novel weaves an epic story of a girl struggling to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.

This is an interesting new type of Teen fiction, and I like it! The book has a lot of the general rules for teen literature--a girl that kicks booty, a love story, overcoming an obstacle of class and birth, etc. but there are introductions of new things, such as the arena (like The Hunger Games, but WAY more intelligent), burial rituals, and human-size spiders--both real and machine.

Jes is a great character, and everyone who reads this story will really be pulling for her--she does not get dealt a great hand, but she was strong before this happened, and she will continue to stay strong.  What I especially love about this book is that while she and Prince Kal have feelings for each other, my girl here has her priorities straight--save her family at all costs, even if it means obstacles in her relationship with Kal.

I highly suggest this book for fans of dystopias, fantasy, and science fiction! Books #2 is on its way!

2 Months LEFT!

This is a personal post--But I just have to share! Mitchell and I are down to our LAST TWO MONTHS until we get married! 

I'm so excited for a lot of you teens who got to meet Mitch, as he has helped out with a couple of teen programs--

And I'm sure you'll see him more in the future. I can't wait to be married, and once I tie the knot, both my personal life and my work with the teens will be perfect!

Li-Bear-Y/Library

I questioned whether this would be appropriate for here, but everything sensitive is covered up--and I LOVE hearing how different people pronounce "Library!" Anyone have any more ideas?

Throwback Thursday, Library Style

I was going through some of my old flash drives, especially 2013, and I thought I'd share some particular gems of my favorite teens!

Here's Jordan promoting 2013's Summer Reading Program!

Betsy...drinking milk like a cat, circa 2013 

They look like babies!!! 

Cornhole at 2013's Lock-In

 Jacob rockin' some old school Super Nintendo!

Some of my original teens...hiding under the computer tables

Humans vs. Zombies--Kaeley's car crash

Zombie blood--because you have to!

 Elisa--she's so tiny!

 Morgan and Vicki Pooters--the ORIGINAL Library kids

My very FIRST Teen Craft Night as Teen Librarian--Duct Tape

 Nick during Halloween craft night--Ghostie Egg Bombs

Hope you enjoyed these! I know I sure did! Thank you teens for stickin' with me the last 4 years. I've had a blast, and I can't wait for more!

March TAB!

Teen Advisory Board meets TOMORROW!

Every month we meet to play games, eat food, and discuss what the TEENS want at the library--they basically tell me what to do, and I have to do it ;-)


Here are some previews of what we hope to discuss and accomplish tomorrow!

Together, we will be working on the April display for POETRY MONTH! You can write poetry on the windows, on post-its, with magnets, on the bulletin board! 

Are you in middle school? Do you want more fun stuff JUST for YOU? We will be talking about some new "Tween" Programs--come give your input!

Book Review: Geography Club

An older story, but soooo appropriate for high-schoolers today...

Geography Club

by Brent Hartinger

Russel Middleton isn't the most popular in school, but he also isn't the outcast.  He IS, however, the only gay kid in school as far as he knows.  But when another teen from his school joins a chat room for gay teens, the two meet up--and it is NOT who Russel expected.

Russel finds out that not only is the jock gay, but so is Ian.  Therese and Min are bisexual.  Together the five meet up and form an after school club to discuss the struggles they all face because of who they are.  Scared to have an obvious "Gay-Straight Alliance Club," the teens mask themselves and call themselves "Geography Club," because let's be honest, who wants to join a geography club?---until someone does...

...and then secrets start to leak out...

This book is phenomenal--let me just say that.  Not only does this book address the LGBTQ population in schools across the country, but Hartinger also includes the geek/outcast character, Brian Bund who takes the fall for everything, and is bullied nearly to the brink.

Not only is this book hilarious, but it touches on real issues, and no matter your stance on LGBTQ-related issues, it's here to stay.  We might as well wise up, open our minds and hearts, and treat one another with love and kindness, because that's all we've got.

I hope this book gives people a wider view of just what it feels like to be LGBTQ in a place where you aren't wanted, and can be emotionally and physically terrorized.

Book Review: Rage Within

In a post-apocalyptic world, the teens fight the baggers in the sequel to Dark Inside...

Rage Within

by Jeyn Roberts

Aries, Clementine, Michael, and Mason and their group have survived the first wave of the apocalypse that turns fellow humans into violent "baggers" that strive to take over the world and annihilate the population.

The group is now trying to decide their next move, and determine how to stay safe.  Aries, the leader, struggles with her own confidence and her responsibility to make the best decisions for the group, all the while, torn between two boys she cares about.  Clementine is desperate to find her brother, and Michael, who realizes his feelings for Clementine joins her search.  Mason struggles with the truth--he may be a danger to everyone he cares about.

Told from alternating points of view, this story continues the apocalyptic saga that began with Dark Inside.

This is another series where you REALLY need to read one right after one another.  I was confused quite a bit during this book, because I'd read the first one years ago.  However, Roberts does a pretty good job catching the reader up on what happened in the first book and the dark memories of all her characters.

The love triangle is a little frustrating, especially when the goal in life right now is just to survive, but I suppose in any situation, love will find a way, so I can hardly judge Roberts for adding that side bit to her story.

This book is very graphic, so when reading this, keep that in mind--it's a violent world, and to survive, sometimes you have to be violent to.  The book is also frustrating, because guess what...another cliff-hanger! Roberts better get on that third book!

Book Review: Adrift

I'm on a roll with these survival stories!

Adrift

by Paul Griffin

Matt and his best friend, John, have a history together--they were both in the car when John's dad was murdered and Matt was shot.  Now, the two work the beaches, selling sodas and ice cream to the rich families that vacation in New York.

But when the two meet Driana and are invited to an upscale party, they get more than they bargained for.  The party leads to a daring girl who wind-surfs at night, leading the group of friends to take a boat out to stop her before she's hurt...but the boat runs out of gas and the girl breaks her arm.

The group is stuck together in a small boat not only trying to survive themselves, but trying to heal a girl that has nearly 0% chance of staying alive.  Driana tries to keep the group together, but John has underlying issues that make peace nearly impossible.

Fighting to survive, this story narrates the two weeks this group stays out at sea with nearly nothing.

Here is another great story to read in one sitting--I know I did.  I'm not a huge fan of survival stories, but Griffin is an amazing author, with solid characters--who you hate or love, but you do because Griffin is such a fantastic writer!

While it is mildly stupid the way these teens end up in this predicament, I think Griffin tells the story using what he has, and while some of the dialog remains far-fetched, as well as John and Matt's history, I feel that overall, this is an engaging story about working together and surviving at all costs.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I can't be a proper librarian if I didn't educate you on this amazing holiday! This year, it is especially important to me because my fiance's ancestors came from Ireland (and a few from Scotland, but we'll get to them another day). 

The REAL St. Patrick...

I found this great summary of St. Patrick from the History Channel:

ST. PATRICK AND THE FIRST ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE

Saint Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people. In the centuries following Patrick’s death (believed to have been on March 17, 461), the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in the Irish culture: Perhaps the most well known legend is that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock.

I thought this was a pretty cool little tidbit! I also found out that our lucky 4-leaf clover means virtually nothing when it comes to luck and Ireland.  The 3 leaf clover is just the symbol of Ireland, no strings attached.

So, while I'm sure you're pinching one another for not wearing green, and talking in your best (or worst!) Irish accent, I wish you a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!

Richard Armitage is my favorite

A lot of you have probably never heard of Richard Armitage, but I'm sure you will recognize him:

Richard plays Thorin in The Hobbit films, but even before those films, he was here:

Oh, snap!

And I originally fell in love with this handsome Brit when I saw him in the British TV show Robin Hood:

Even though he played the bad guy, he was soooo good! If you haven't seen any of his movies, please get started! Here's the list: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0035514/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Book Review: The Edge

Finally! There is a sequel to Peak, by Roland Smith...

The Edge

by Roland Smith

When we last saw Peak, he NEARLY climbed to the top of Mt. Everest--short by only a few feet, giving his friend the opportunity to be the youngest climber to top the mountain.  Now, Peak spends his time with his family, going to school, staying out of trouble.

But when billionaire, Sebastian Plank creates the idea of a "Peace Climb," combining teens from all over the world to climb different peaks all at the same time to promote peace among all countries, Peak is at the top of his list for the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan.

Peak's mother tags along as chaperone, but one night, when everyone but Peak is either kidnapped or killed, Peak must follow the trail to save his mother and his new-found friends.

Roland Smith is one of my favorite authors--he knows how to write adventure stories.  There has yet to be a bad one written by him.  Peak is a great character, and I was very excited to learn that there was a sequel to Peak, which was written quite some time ago.

The premise is pretty out there--I can't imagine a group of teens scaling a mountain, getting kidnapped, and surviving the way they do, but because of Smith's writing, it's incredibly easy to go along with the story because he narrates so well.

If you love adventure or survival stories, I highly suggest getting this book--preferably reading Peak first, but not absolutely necessary.

Book Review: Rook

This is a GREAT take on a Dystopian Scarlet Pimpernel.  I highly suggest this book--read further to know why!

Rook

by Sharon Cameron

Summary From Goodreads:

History has a way of repeating itself. In the Sunken City that was once Paris, all who oppose the new revolution are being put to the blade. Except for those who disappear from their prison cells, a red-tipped rook feather left in their place. Is the mysterious Red Rook a savior of the innocent or a criminal?

Meanwhile, across the sea in the Commonwealth, Sophia Bellamy’s arranged marriage to the wealthy René Hasard is the last chance to save her family from ruin. But when the search for the Red Rook comes straight to her doorstep, Sophia discovers that her fiancé is not all he seems. Which is only fair, because neither is she.

As the Red Rook grows bolder and the stakes grow higher, Sophia and René find themselves locked in a tantalizing game of cat and mouse.

What an interesting idea combining future dystopia with Renaissance France! Sharon Cameron twists Paris, France into a setting that is absolutely intriguing.  Paris is now half-sunken, and there is a divide between the Sunken and Upper Cities...and Sophia is torn in the middle.

What I especially love about this book is that, while Sophia is the heroine, and she is very sneaky and plots these elaborate escapes, she DOES make mistakes, and the powers that be do see what she is planning--so unlike most cookie-cutter dystopia novels where the hero hardly EVER gets caught or figured out, Cameron lets Sophia think she is elusive, but all the while, we know that LeBlanc knows who she is and what she is trying to do.  This only makes the last 100 more pages excruciating, though, because you are DYING to know how everything will pan out in the climax of the story.

Fans of Divergent and the Hunger Games will love this new idea of futuristic Paris, and I highly suggest getting it ASAP!

I Will Finish What You Started

It's another Star Wars post! Hooray! So, if you've seen the new movie, you'll know that Kylo Ren is trying to continue with the Empire and finish what Darth Vader started, even though Vader repented before his death.  Regardless, I found this perfect meme online!

I only wish I could see this at a food court or restaurant!